Clutch



A. BROWN.

CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED JAN. I9, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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C. A. BROWN.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921!...

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5 m 1% Erma/72 CHARLES ANDREW BROWN, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,524.

T o allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at 106 S. Western Parkway, Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and btate of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clutches; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en ableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

tails of description in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure l is a sideelevation illustrating one form of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, the section being taken substantially alongthe axial center of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that it illustrates the partsin a different position.

Fig. is a radial sectional view along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a radial sectional view along line 5 -5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which similar referencecharacters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views,the invention consists 1n the structure which will now be described indetail as follows: i

A disk -1 is mounted on a shaft 2 and adapted to rotate therewith, thisdisk being formed with a cupped side of a frusto-conical inner surface 3which constitutes a frictional clutching surface against which acorresponding frictional clutching surface 4 is normally seated.Although, in practice, the

clutching surface 4 may be an annular strip of fabric or other sheet ofmaterial, as indicated in the drawings, it is not essentially so, andmay be considered as an element of a hollow clutching member 5, beingfixed thereto or integral therewith. The member 5 comprises arusto-conical annulus 6, and the element 4 may also-be considered anelement of this annulus. The circumferentially smaller end of theannulus is open and provides a working space for an internal clutchingmember 7, the latter having a radially flanged working end, and theflange 8 of this member is provided with one or more teeth or shoulders9, according to the form of the embodiment of the invention. The disk 1is provided with teeth or abutments 10, accordin bodiment. The teeth 9are adapted to interlock with the teeth 10, as will ,be more fullyexplained hereinafter. A shaft 11 is axially alined with the shaft 2,and the inner clutching member 7 is feather-keyed to the shaft 11 asindicated at 12. The member 7 may be feather-keyed to the member 5, asindicated at 13 in F ig. 5, but the feather-keys 13 are not essentialwhere the device is not subjected to extremely heavy loads, because themember 5 is provided with slots 1 1 and the member 7 is provided withstuds 15, these studs extending through the slots 14 and preventingrotary movement of the members 5 and 7 relative to one another, whilepermitting axial movement of these members relative to one another. Anyappropriate means. may be employed for shifting the studs 15 along theslots 14 and thereby engaging the lugs or shoulders 9 with the lugs orabutments 10, such shifting means being indicated at 16, and being ofordinary construction, is not described in detail further than to statethat one or more studs 17 extend into an annular groove in the member.or ring 16 and may be actuated to the different forms of em-' for movingthe ring 16 axially when this ring rotates with the elements 1 to 16inelusive.

' A comparatively weak spring 18 is coiled around the shaft 11 andseated against the outer end of the member 7 and against an inwardlyextending annular flange 19 which constitutes an element of the member5. A comparatively strong spring 20 is seated against the outer surfaceof the flange 19 and against a collar 21, the latter being secured tothe shaft 11 by any appropriate with the teeth of the member 1, and thatthe spring 20 yieldingly holds 1 the frictional surface 4: in contactwith the frictional surface 3. When it is desired to disengage themembers 5 and 7 from the disk 1, the shifting member 16 is moved towardthe collar or spring-seat 21, and the spring 18, being the weaker,compresses before the spring-20 1 compresses, thereby moving theinterlocking teeth or shoulders out of engagement with one anotherbefore the frictional surfaces 3 and 4: are disengaged from one another.However, when the studs 15 have come into contact with the outer ends ofthe slots 14, and the shifting member continues to move outward, thiscauses the member 5 to be' moved against the pressure of its sprin 20,thereby disengaging the frictional surfaces 3 and 4. On the other hand,when the shifting member 16 is released, the relatively strong spring 20follows the return movement of the shifting member and causes thefrictional surfaces 3 and 4 to be engaged before the teeth 9 come intoengagement with the teeth 10, and after the shaft 2 has been started bythe engagement of'these frictional surfaces, any slipping of thesesurfaces permits the teeth or shoulders of the members 1 and 5tomoveinto interlocking engagement withone another, thereby positivelylocking the shafts 2and 11 with relation to one another. 8

In this embodiment of the invention, the teeth are beveled or inclinedso that the shafts are positively locked against relative rotation inone direction, but are permitted,

to rotate with relation to one anotherin the opposite direction in theevent the frictional surface 4 slides upon the frictional surface 3. IAlthough this form of the invention has been described veryspecifically, it is not intended to limit this invention to these exactdetails of construction and arrangement, but

changes may be made within the scope of the inventive ideas. as impliedand claimed.

I claim: 1. *In a clutch, a rotary disk including a frusto-conicalfrictional clutching surface and an eccentrically located abutment, aone piece rotary member including a hollow hub and a frusto-conicalannulus, the latter having its circumferentially larger endencirclingone'end of said hub and having its circumferentially smallerend open and providing a working space, the other end of said hubincluding an inwardly extending annular flange, the intermediate part ofthis hub being formed with an axially extending slot, the outerperipheral face of said annulus being frictionally engageable with saidfrictional clutching surface, an internal clutching member mounted foraxial moveannular flange for moving said hollow memcircumferentiallysmaller end open and pro- '75 ber into frictional clutching engagementwith said disk.

2. In a clutch, a rotary disk including a frusto-conical frictionalclutching surface and an eccentrically located abutment, a onepiecerotary member including a hollow hub and a frusto-conical annulus, thelatter having its circumferentially larger end encircling one end ofsaid hub and having its viding a working space, the other end of saidhub including an inwardly extending annular flange, the intermediatepart of this hub being formed with axially extending slots, the outerperipheral face of said annulus being frictionally engageable withsaidfrictional clutching surface, an internal.

clutching member mounted for axial movement in said hollow hub, andprovided with an axial bore and with radial studs which extend outthrough said slots and have their inner end seated in said internalclutching member outwardly of said axial bore, said clutching memberincluding a shoulder lo- 'cated in said working space and movabletherein'for engagement and disengagement with said abutment, a shafthaving one end longitudinally slidable and non-rotatable in said axialbore, a spring-seat on said shaft, a comparatively weak springcompressed by and between said annular flange and said internalclutching member and operable to press said clutching member into itsinterlocking position, a comparatively strong spring compressed by andbetween said spring-seat and said annular flange and op- ,erable topress said annulus into frictional engagement with said frictionalclutching surface, and means to move thesespringpressed members againstthe pressure of their respective springs out of clutching engagement,the last saidmeans including a 'rin which is united with the outer endsof sai studs and encircles said hub.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' CHARLES ANDREW BROWN.

